


Doomed Heritage

by solohux



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Possession, Protective Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 14:24:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solohux/pseuds/solohux
Summary: Armitage Hux is unaware of the true identity of his maternal grandfather until a mission to the ruins of the Death Star II puts him in a very dangerous situation. Suspecting nothing is out of the ordinary, Supreme Leader Ren invites General Hux into his throne room for an update on their mission, making sure that the deep admiration that he holds for Hux remains completely hidden. Everything seems fine at first until Hux starts acting strangely.Then, Kylo sees the sulfuric yellow of Hux’s eyes, outlined by a shade of blood-red, striking fear deep into Kylo's bones. Armitage Hux is no longer in control of his own body.





	Doomed Heritage

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emeraldorbs89](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldorbs89/gifts).



> For my lovely [@heyitsemeraldorbs](http://http://heyitsemeraldorbs.tumblr.com/) ❤️. I hope you enjoy, darling! Thank you so much for your support! I really, really hope you like this. ❤️ You're a star!
> 
> Thank you to everyone else for reading! I hope you enjoy! Let the angst commence!

_“General? General. Sir, can you hear me?”_

The unmistakable white lights of a medbay shine brightly down from above him, turning the simple task of opening his eyes into a painful chore. Still, he groans, forcing his tired body to obey him and he awakens, finding himself staring at the worried face of a male medic and two MD droids, who hover by his bedside. Where is he? Is he on a ship? If so, _which_ ship? And who brought him here? Question after question flood his aching head as he sits up in bed, unfamiliar sheets beneath his fingers.

“General Hux? Can you hear me? Try to stay lying down, sir. We don’t know what injuries you have sustained.”

 _Injuries?_ Besides the tiredness that is throbbing in every muscle and the pounding headache, he doesn’t feel unwell or wounded. Regardless of the doctor’s warning, he continues to push himself up in the bed until he’s sitting properly, propped up against the pillows behind him. His body feels… _lighter._ Smaller, definitely. He holds his arms out in front of him, assessing his thin wrists and nimble fingers, looking at the fine, ginger hairs that sit upon his gooseflesh. From there, he feels his belly, thin and underfed, patting his chest before feeling his face—cheekbones that feel sharp enough to cut—and a mass of unkempt ginger hair atop his head. This body feels wonderful, so young and so full of passion.

“The med-droids report no trauma or internal bleeding. How are you feeling, General?”

Why does this man keep calling him _that_? _General._ The nerve! It’s _Emperor._ The pitiful, disrespectful fool—

 _Wait_. His troubled mind brings forth his most recent memories, remembering being in the presence of Vader’s _grandson_ in the ruins of the almighty Death Star, but the boy hadn’t been alone. The coming of Armitage Hux had been his awakening, his chance to seize life again. His own flesh and blood, unaware of his heritage, the poor boy, presenting himself to the once-great Emperor Palpatine like a lamb into the slaughterhouse.

Yes, now that he remembers what has transpired, Armitage’s memories fuse together with his and become his own to gaze upon; images of a sad, lonely child, of a cold and greedy father, of a lost mother—Palpatine’s daughter. The boy obviously had a troublesome childhood, one that still haunts him to this day, but there’s one particular memory that Palpatine can’t help but focus on, one of a body in a bacta tank dissolving until nothing is left but shrunken organs and bare bones. Committing murder—patricide—to become free, to become stronger; Palpatine thinks of Plagueis, of the delight he had felt in watching his Master die a slow and painful death. The apple, it would seem, has not fallen too far from thetree.

And yet, there’s something else. Flashes of a face, a _young_ face filled with beauty spots and a scar marring his cheek. Dark hair, a deep tone of voice, a strong body that Armitage imagines himself writhing underneath— _Oh._ The Skywalker heir has an admirer. For a moment, unable to restrain himself, Palpatine curses Armitage for having developed an attachment--a weakness--for Vader’s grandson but, delving deeper, it’s more than a weakness. It's the worst sort, one where someone is willing to do the illogical and unthinkable if their One is in danger. It’s unrequited love. _Perfect._

Palpatine blinks, giving his shoulders a slow roll, cracking his neck, feeling more alive than he ever has in Armitage’s body.

His grandson’s body.

“My good doctor,” Palpatine grins, body alight with his newfound power. He’s ready to conquer again, starting with Vader’s meddling grandson. “I’m feeling… _good._ ”

X………..X

Across the _Supremacy II,_ Supreme Leader Ren is anxious in his throne room.

Something is amiss, making him feel a great sense of unease. No longer able to think whilst pacing, he strides over to his throne—metallic grey, cushioned seat and much taller than Snoke’s—and plonks his heft down into it with gracelessness, slouched back, too disturbed by his inner turmoil to care about comfort. He casts his mind back to the disquiet he felt when Rey and Finn had caused the awakening in the Force almost two years ago, recalling how it called out to him like a muffled screech across a wide open plain, unable to determine its meaning but _knowing_ its cause. This time, he feels as though he’s underwater, drowning, as a storm rages in the skies above him whilst something from the dark, murky depths whispers to him, reaching out with ghostly fingers to claw at his ankles. Regardless of his state of mind, he doesn’t know what the Force is trying to tell him. The disturbance is much too grand for him to comprehend.

The square-shape comlink on his wrist beeps with an incoming transmission, flashing with a blue light to inform him that it’s coming from the medical wing. Immediately, his mind goes to Hux.

“Yes?”

“ _Supreme Leader,”_ a female voice addresses him. “ _General Hux has woken and seems…well, very well, sir. Assessments have found no lasting damage from his collapse in the ruins. He’s in good health and can return to his duties whenever you wish, sir.”_

Kylo moves the comlink away from his mouth, refusing to permit the medic to hear his sigh of relief. The expedition to the Endor system in search of debris from the Death Star II’s superlaser, rumoured to be _haunted_ by the spirit of Emperor Palpatine himself or _what’s left of him_ , had been Kylo’s idea, desperate to fulfil his destiny and claim power that he could use to win this futile struggle against the Resistance. With General Organa gone, Kylo had presumed them to be leaderless yet they remain as resilient as ever. Even if his trusted Knights of Ren were wrong in their reports of Sidious’s essence lingering on in the ruins of the old battle station, it was worth the trip just for Kylo to in close quarters with Hux again. After all, such a wedge had been driven between them after the events of Crait. Kylo doesn’t want to think about it, shivering at the thought of the pain that he caused Hux to suffer. 

And when Hux had scouted ahead, moving from Kylo’s side where he’d been for the entire trip, only to suddenly freeze, seemingly unable to move _or_ speak, and then collapsed like a stringless puppet to the ground, Kylo had regretted assigning his beloved General to the mission immediately. He remembers the unhealthy paleness of Hux’s skin, the tremble to his body, probing his mind to feel the agony that was drawing his eyebrows together. Terrified, Kylo had abandoned the mission immediately, fearing to lose the one person who has known and seen the true Kylo Ren and stayed beside him regardless. Perhaps, one day, he’ll tell Hux how he feels.

“Send him to my throne room,” Kylo orders. “I want to see him.”

“ _I shall inform him at once, Supreme Leader. Medbay, out.”_

The comlink beeps as the frequency disconnects, leaving Kylo alone in the silence of the big, empty room. He doesn’t _quite_ know what he’s going to say to Hux when he comes to him but just _seeing_ him will settle the turmoil that’s rolling over in his gut. _Knowing_ that Hux is alive and well is all he needs to see; words fail him when it comes to Hux, anyway.

It’s a long few minutes until the doors to the throne room open, revealing the tall, lithe frame of General Hux walking inside, holding himself with such a rigidly straight back as the familiar heel-click of his boots echo across the empty room. Kylo holds his breath, sitting upright in his throne but not yet moving to stand, feeling the disturbance in the Force growing stronger with each step that Hux takes towards him, oddly. Kylo decides that he must proceed with caution.

“You asked to see me, Supreme Leader Ren,” Hux says, coming to halt on the small, raised platform in front of the throne, head bowed and gaze cast downwards as though waiting for permission to look at him.

 _Strike one_. Hux has never bowed in front of Kylo. His refusal, his defiance in the face of the First Order’s leader remains one of Kylo’s favourite things about his General; the only person to stand up to him, to not back down in fear. Yet, now, Hux looks submissive on the dais, he looks  _wrong._

“I did,” Kylo returns, keeping his thoughts to himself. “I wanted to check your health for myself after your collapse. How are you feeling?”

“As well as can be, Supreme Leader.”

“No ill effects?”

“None.”

 _Strike two._ All of the Force-nulls have reported some form of ailment after visiting the crash site. Puzzling, Kylo thinks, why hasn’t Hux? He tries to probe the surface of Hux’s mind but finds resistance there too as though strong mental shields have been built to protect something, to keep something hidden. But _what?_ Kylo clenches his fists, frustrated. 

“None at all? The Stormtroopers have reported headaches and nausea after being in the Death Star ruins.”

Still, Hux refuses to look up, keeping his head bowed. “Oh?”

“It’s a common occurance for Force-nulls to experience sickness when they enter a domain that has such an association with the dark side.”

“I must be one of the lucky ones. Well. If that’s all, Supreme Leader.”

“No, it isn’t,” Kylo finally stands up but remains still, looking down to where Hux is bowed, unsure of the man he thought he knew. “Do you remember what you felt before you fainted?”

This time, Hux does react, movement in the form of a small smile on his thin lips.

“Yes, I remember. I was...overwhelmed. The Death Star was breathtaking. I became _hot_ all over,” Hux says, lifting his head, biting his lower lip. His gloved hand rises to rest upon his forehead, and he exhales in a _moan._ “It must have been something in the atmosphere. Nothing for you to concern yourself with, Supreme Leader.”

“I’m not concerned,” Kylo replies, much too quickly, suddenly aware that Hux is staring right at him, _through him,_ with shining green eyes that seem to ooze something that Kylo has never seen in them before: greed.

“You _look_ concerned,” Hux says, closing the gap between them. “In fact, I can almost feel it.”

Kylo swallows hard, hoping to rid his mind of his anxieties about Hux and his strange behaviour, fearing that Hux can _actually_ read his mind somehow, feeling a presence prodding at his mental shields as though trying to break through the defence.

“Hux…”

“Don’t be afraid, Kylo,” Hux says, _whispers,_ and reaches up to touch Kylo’s cheek with his palm, cupping it. It’s an intimacy that Kylo has longed to have with his General but, now, as his dreams flood reality, it doesn’t feel right. As he stares deeper into Hux’s eyes, the disturbance in the Force becomes louder and louder, like a drumming noise that reverberates through his body and makes him tremble.

‘ _Ren…Help me…Ren.’_

Inside of Kylo’s mind, he can vaguely hear Hux’s voice, muffled as though purposefully suppressed, calling out to him in such a panicked tone that Kylo flinches. His head aches.

“I’m not afraid.” Kylo speaks quietly, unable to look anywhere but Hux’s eyes, frowning when he’s certain he sees a flash of yellow in the pale green of his irises.

“Oh, but you’ve always been afraid, haven’t you? Afraid of failure, afraid of punishment, even afraid that you will never live up to your grandfather’s legacy,” Hux pouts, obviously feigning sadness. “Let me in. Let me help you, Ren.”

All of Kylo’s instincts are telling him to lash out but he can’t, too afraid that he’s overthinking it all and that there’s nothing wrong with Hux. He leans in, seeking their first kiss, his mental shields weakening to allow Hux’s mind to connect with his, wanting to drown in him, uniting finally after a long animosity. It’s what he wants, it’s what he’s dreamt of—

—But the voice that echoes inside of his mind isn’t Hux’s, it isn’t what he expected. There’s a cackle, a voice that drips with greed and _power,_ uttering words that Hux would _never._

‘ _Come to me, young Skywalker.’_

 _Strike three._ Kylo’s eyes shoot open before their lips connect, blood running cold in his veins. The first thing he sees are the horrid, sulfuric yellow of Hux’s eyes, outlined by blood-red, his pale skin almost turning translucent. This isn’t Hux, _but who?_ Calling the Force to him, he pushes the parasite away from him, giving metres of space between them, enough for Kylo to ignite his lightsaber and present its crackling tip to his unknown enemy.

“Who are you?” Kylo yells, unnerved and terrified at the sight of Hux standing before him with Sith eyes. The parasite laughs again. “Let him go!”

Obviously hearing the sudden commotion, the throne room’s doors open and in strides the Supreme Leader’s guard, Captain Joaas in his shining red armour, flanked by five troopers on each side. Hux doesn’t turn to look at them, instead keeping his dark gaze locked on Kylo.

“Restrain him!” Kylo orders, heart clenching at the _thought_ of bringing harm to Hux but he hopes that he’ll be forgiven.

“ _Fool_ ,” Hux mutters and, before Kylo can fight back, his lightsaber slips free of his grip, flying across the room and into Hux’s waiting palm.

Hux spins on the spot, taking out two of the attacking troopers with just one swipe of the lightsaber. Kylo can only watch in complete awe as the parasite controls Hux’s body, making him annihilate all eleven of the Stormtroopers—and Captain Joaas—without one drop of sweat forming on his skin. His strikes are merciless, aiming to kill instead of injure, skewering the troopers on the crackling blade, throwing them off to tackle another, until all of them are dead at his feet, and he and Kylo are alone again.

“I can _feel_ your anger, Ben,” Hux says, so obvious now that his words are not his own. “It’s coursing through your veins. But it is not anger at the death of your soldiers, is it? It’s because I own Armitage’s body. He’s still here, do not worry. He’s calling to you.”

“Who are you?” Kylo asks again, through gritted teeth this time.

“You aren’t _so_ dim, boy. I thought you would have been pleased to see me. You came to me, seeking my help, and here I am.”

Seeking help? Kylo has sought aid from no such leech, only— _Oh. No…_

“Palpatine,” Kylo states, though the puzzle remains unsolved.

“What is left of me,” Palpatine says, rubbing his hands down his chest—Hux’s chest. “But a younger model. Armitage is serving his purpose well, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Get _out_ of him. He’s got no part in this! He isn’t your pawn to play games with. _I’m_ the one who wanted to find you.”

“Oh, but he is, more than anyone ever thought. Even Brendol didn’t know. Little Armitage Hux, my illegitimate daughter’s son. Vader had his offspring, I had mine. I had to take precautions to ensure my second coming should those Rebels succeed. Poetic, I suppose, that Vader’s grandson and mine should end up _together_.”

 _Grandson? **Hux**? _The bastard son of Brendol Hux and a nameless kitchen woman, the latter a bastard herself. Kylo’s kneels feel weak; Hux is a _Palpatine. Armitage Palpatine._

“I want you by my side, Ben,” Palpatine says, tossing Kylo’s lightsaber aside like an unwanted toy, holding his hand open. “Like your grandfather was. A Skywalker and a Palpatine, on the throne of the galaxy once more. You’ll finally be the man that Vader was, only _stronger_. We’ll crush the Rebels together. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“More than anything,” Kylo replies, drawn to Hux like he never has before. He thinks of what they could accomplish with Palpatine’s aid, with his prestige of the Force.

“Then join me. Let me show you the unlimited power of the dark side. Finish what your grandfather started and take his place at my side!”

_‘Finish what he started.’_

The words echo in Kylo’s mind as he stares at Palpatine, at Hux. The General’s body is standing tall, shoulders back and chest puffed out, a stance of over-confidence. It looks unnatural to Kylo, so unlike Hux. Everything about his aura screams greed. His Sith eyes haunt Kylo to his core, unable to stare at them for too long for fear of being compromised, or perhaps he already is. It’s as though, behind Palpatine, he can see his grandfather and grandmother in their younger years, young and free from the pain caused by the _leech_ in front of him. Padmé was lost in the crossfire of Anakin’s desire to protect her, Hux is not going to die the same death.

Turning down the aid of a Sith to save the one he loves is enough of a sacrifice for him to be called compromised. The desires of the First Order can wait; Hux needs him.

Throwing out his hand, fingers stretched wide, Kylo calls his fallen lightsaber to him, thinking that he can, at least, use it as intimidation; harming Hux’s body with the searing blade isn’t an option. But as the lightsaber flies through the air towards him, bright lightning strikes him at full force, knocking him onto his backside and sending him skidding across the floor. Though he doesn’t cry out, Kylo is still shaking with the aftershocks of the hit long after the lighting has disappeared, trembling as tiny grunts escape his lips. Somehow, the pain is worse than Snoke’s lightning; hitting him square in the chest and channelling across every inch of his skin, setting everything in its wake alight in a burst.

“I expected much more from you, Ben,” Palpatine says, tutting. Kylo groans, pushing himself up from the cold ground to look to Hux, hurt by the sight of his unrequited-love being used as a puppet, pained more than any lightning attack could. “Your grandfather would be disappointed.”

“You don’t know Vader as well as you think,” Kylo quips, feeling, more than ever, that Vader—Anakin—is with him.

“He could have been _immortal!_ Yet he betrayed _me_ and threw everything we worked for, and for what? For his pathetic Jedi son. Is that what you’re going to do, too? Turn against me to save this _runt?!_ ”

Another hit of lightning sends Kylo flying backwards, crying out when it strikes him but he bites down hard on his lip to stop himself from screaming any more. The pain is unbearable; every fibre of his body, mind and soul feels as though it’s burning, tiny red-hot needles piercing him from every possible angle. He can’t stop convulsing, every movement more painful than the last, until he’s lying, completely numb, at the Sith Lord’s mercy.

Palpatine continues, “He’s awake in here, you know. _Armitage._ He can see just how weak you are. You’re disappointing him, I can feel it. A pity, really, he truly believed that you’d rule the galaxy together, some day. How… _romantic_.”

Kylo frowns, pushing himself up on shaking arms, not yet strong enough to stand so is forced to remain half-lying on the ground. “What?”

Palpatine stares at him, raising his eyebrows, covering his cheek with his hand as though genuinely shocked. “Oh. Oh, my _. You don’t know.”_

“Know _what?”_

“Armitage is in love with you, dear child. _Desperately_ so. It’s embarrassing, really. I’m a little disgusted by my own grandson’s weakness.” Palpatine pokes at his own temple. “He’s begging me not to hurt you anymore. He’s asking to sacrifice himself for my plans if it will spare your life. Precious. _Pathetic_.”

Kylo can do nothing but stare in awe, trying to process what he’s just learned. It shouldn’t be happening like this. Over and over again, in his darkest moments during the coldest nights, Kylo has dreamt of this, finding out that his deep and yearning love for Hux is returned, reciprocated when he thought he was destined to be alone. It was meant to happen in the aftermath of a victorious battle, when they both had almost lost the one thing that made them whole, falling into each other’s embrace and sharing their first kiss standing amongst the ruins of the Resistance, with the galaxy at their feet and the rest of their glorious ahead of them.

Instead, Kylo can almost see _Hux_ in front of him, on his knees at Palpatine’s feet like a leashed dog, pleading with everything he has to ensure that Kylo’s life is spared from death by his own hands, hands controlled by the grandfather he didn’t know he had.

“And what’s this?” Palpatine continues, Kylo wants to tell him to _shut up._ “You’re in love with Armitage, too, aren’t you, Ben? Oh! Oh, my. Armitage didn’t know. He’s surprised. Good, he’s fighting hard to regain control but he’ll _never._ I can feel your infatuation, your _devotion,_ for my grandson, Ben. So strong that it’s _sickening._ It’s how Anakin felt for his beloved Padmé, you know. And look where that got _him._ Don’t be weak, Ben. Attachment is weakness.”

“Hux makes me stronger,” Kylo snaps, standing up, albeit shakily, hunched over but trying to stand as straight as he can manage. “You’ve underestimated him.”

“Underestimated? Pah!” Palpatine laughs, grinning. “Little Armitage didn’t put up a fight when I forced my spirit into his body! It’s a miracle that Brendol didn’t grant him a mercy kill when he was a child! He’s finally doing something worthwhile by letting me use him to rule the galaxy again.”

“You’ll _never!_ ” Kylo shakes his head, imagining Hux’s green eyes shining at him instead of being stared at by Palpatine’s yellow ones. “We won’t let you. Hux was right, we’re going to conquer the galaxy together, without you! This is your one and only warning. Give Hux back to me, or you’ll be destroyed.”

Palpatine looks amused, smiling maniacally. “So you have chosen to stand in my way. So be it, young fool.”

When the glowing blue of the Force lightning shoots from Palpatine’s hands this time, Kylo is ready. Using the Force as a barrier, he allows it to pool inside of his outstretched palm, letting it crackle and become _one_ with his own power rather than allowing it to consume him. He controls it, though crudely, sparks flying out of the wispy ball in his hand to strike his cheeks as he digs deep inside of his own connection to the Force to absorb the crackling electricity, refusing to fire it back at Hux. With nowhere else to go and unable to be destroyed, the lightning sinks into him, burning through his glove and into the pale skin of his hand but it eventually disappears, its power turned into raw energy that he can feel in the Force around him, flowing through him, becoming one with him.

 _“No!”_ Palpatine yells, sending another powerful wave of lighting straight at Kylo, unyielding this time instead of just a single burst.

Kylo digs his heels in, sliding back only slightly when the lighting strikes him, using the same technique as last time to manipulate the attack into a thrumming ball of energy that swirls around in his palm, crackling around his fingers as it he devours it. The Force is so thick around him that he feels drunk on it, as though it’s a physical being surrounding him instead of an entity. It’s so potent that Kylo has never felt stronger, fiercer. Palpatine is scowling at him, ceasing his lightning attack when he sees it achieving nothing.

“You’ve failed,” Kylo says, voice sounding deeper even to his own ears.

“Fool!” Palpatine roars, reaching his hand out. “If I can’t have Armitage, then no one can! He’s _mine!”_

Kylo’s lightsaber is suddenly in Palpatine’s palm, aiming its blade into his own chest, positioning it out in front of him, over his heart, ensuring the crackling plasma will pierce his body and silence his heart—Hux’s heart. He grins widely at Kylo, thumb pressing down onto the red, ignition button as soon as it’s in position, thinking that he’s finally won, waiting for the pain to hit him, ready to let go of Armitage’s suppressed consciousness so that he may feel death, die in his almost-lover’s arms. But the pain does not come. He glances down, confused, completely aggrieved when he sees the red blade protruding only slightly from the hilt, flickering as though fighting against an invisible force to ignite.

Across the room, Kylo stands with his arm out, fingers spread, all of his focus on his lightsaber’s blade, suppressing its discharge, protecting Hux’s heart from the fatal blow. He grits his teeth, fighting against his own crystal for power but, inevitably, it yields under his commands, but the blockage is too much for the already-damaged and cracked kyber crystal to handle. In a bright and blinding burst, the lightsaber explodes in a silent _boom,_ a big blast of stored energy sending Palpatine hurdling backwards with a cry as he lands flat on his back, winded and dazed. In the back of his mind, Kylo feels a twinge of pain and knows that it’s Hux’s—Palpatine is weakened.

The Force, the sheer strength of what he’s soaked up from the lightning attacks, lifts Kylo’s feet off the ground as he goes to walk, carrying him in a gentle levitation towards Palpatine’s fallen form, feeling more at one with the Force that flows through him than he ever has before. He’s reminiscent of a ghost; an eerie blue aura surrounds his body as his eyes glow white, his long, dark hair floating softly around his head as though he’s in water. A true image of Force strength.

“ _Let Hux go,_ ” Kylo says, voice dripping with power. Without trying, he can feel Palpatine’s fear at the sight of one so strong with the Force. His cowardice fuels Kylo’s vigour, his need to save his _one_. “ _Now_.”

“Never,” Palpatine spits, scowling.

This time, it’s Kylo turn to smile. He raises his hand slowly from where it rests at his side until it’s stretched out in front of him, palm upturned and facing the ceiling. Palpatine gasps as though being choked, arching his back against the pressure of the Force around him but, nevertheless, there’s nothing he can do as Kylo lifts him from the ground and high into the air, his arms clamped by his sides as though Kylo is a giant serpent, constricting him with invisible coils.

He’s going to force Palpatine’s spirit out of Hux’s body, he’s—

Kylo hesitates, powers waning for a moment. _Hux._ With the amount of strength it’s going to take to defeat the parasite, is Hux going to be hurt? What if it damages him beyond repair? His body, his mind? What if he becomes a hollow shell after Palpatine’s essence leaves him?

He has to risk it. He _must_ ; at least he’ll still have Hux to nurse back to health. If he dies—Kylo stops himself. He can’t bear the thought of life without him. 

The Force surges, charging forward upon Kylo’s command to surround Palpatine’s body, digging deep to find the roots of where his spirit has conquered Hux’s, searching through his consciousness to free his mind from the Sith’s hold.

“Your feeble skills won’t be enough to defeat me,” Palpatine says through gritted teeth, his body rigid. “Kill me, and I’ll take your Armitage with me.”

Palpatine’s face changes, slackening for a moment as he closes his eyes and relaxes in the Force hold. Kylo frowns but keeps his grip tight, unwilling to allow Palpatine’s games to get to him. But his eyes open then, and Kylo feels himself _fall_. Green eyes, though unfocussed and confused, blink slowly, small whines escaping from thin lips. Kylo feels his powers falter.

“ _Nnnghh_ … _Ren?”_ It’s Hux, _his Armitage,_ there can be no doubt, released from his mental prison and given back control of his own body. He must be terrified, Kylo thinks, staring up at his General, fearing permanent damage already. “Wh-what’s happening?”

“Hux. Shh, shh. Everything is alright…Just stay calm.”

“No, _no,_ he’s still here,” Hux jostles as much as he can in Kylo’s hold, still suspended high in the air, though Kylo can sense the overwhelming fear that floods Hux’s mind. “Kylo, help me, please!”

Kylo’s hand trembles. What if it’s a trick? Or worse, _what if that’s really Hux_ and Kylo is leaving him to suffer? His terrified sobs, however, soon turn back into that familiar, evil laughter. The fear on Hux’s face turns back into glee, lips contorting into a grin, yellow consuming the green of his eyes, betraying the transformation.

“He really is pathetic, isn’t he?” Palpatine cackles. “I shall take great pleasure in snuffing out his consciousness and making him my servant!”

Kylo roars with anger, his power swelling inside and outside of his body until Palpatine’s laughed is silenced and turned into loud, pained cries as the Force picks at every fibre of his spirit that has latched onto Hux’s mind.

‘ _This isn’t Hux,’_ Kylo tells himself, flinching against the sounds of the agonised screams but carrying on with his onslaught, still floating graciously off the ground and his hair floating around him. Truly, one with the Force, driven by nothing but his pure and desperate need to save Hux from this fate. Each throb of the Force inside of Hux’s body makes Palpatine scream, probing through his very soul to exterminate what is left of his spirit. Blood begins to drip from Kylo’s nose but he doesn’t stop, _he can’t,_ until there’s no Palpatine left inside of Hux’s body, wanting his precious General to be free from this monster for good, no chance of return.

The ceiling lights flicker and then burst as Palpatine lets out one final roar before there seems to be a glow coming from Hux’s body, one that bursts out like a gush of wind before everything else falls completely silent. Kylo feels the last of his newfound powers leave him, fading like a dying sun until he’s back to his regular self, both feet on the ground. He’s weary, panting from both mental and physical exhaustion, struggling to remain standing on his trembling legs.

His attention goes to Hux, then, fearing the worst but he looks up to see that he’s still suspended in the air, no longer captured inside of Kylo’s coil-like Force-hold but, instead, he’s resting in the air as though being cradled, not rigid like he was only moments ago. He looks as though he’s merely asleep, face resting peacefully in slumber. Slowly, the General’s tired body begins to lower towards the ground as though guided by an invisible force, giving Kylo enough time to shuffle over to him, opening his arms and holding them up to catch Hux as he glides down, safely nestling into Kylo’s hold.

Kylo’s tears finally begin to fall. He places his lips onto Hux’s forehead and leaves them there, scrunching his eyes closed as relief floods his mind like a gush of water from a broken dam, like bursting free of a dark ocean to finally see the stars again. Hux looks as handsome as ever, sleeping, pale eyelashes gracing his high cheekbones and sweeps of his vibrant, copper hair resting astray atop his forehead.

“Hux,” Kylo whispers, finding all other words lost to him. He wants to apologise, he wants to confess his love, he wants to hold on and never, never let go.

But the exhaustion finally begins to win. Underneath Hux’s extra weight, Kylo’s knees give way, buckling underneath him as darkness begins to creep upon the very edges of his vision, consuming him slowly. He gently places Hux on the groun, carefully laying him safely on his bac, before Kylo collapses next to him, lying side-by-side, almost nose-to-nose as he blinks and allows the darkness to claim him, body desperately seeking sleep.

“ _Ren_.”

Kylo forces his eyes back open, heart jumping at the sound of the voice that he thought he may never hear utter his name again. Hux’s strained voice keeps the blackness at bay for another moment, as does the shimmer of his pale eyes staring into Kylo’s. Kylo feels like he can _breathe_ again.

“Hux? Are you—”

“Yes,” Hux replies, obviously in a degree of pain but manages to lift his hand to Kylo’s cheek. Immediately, Kylo sinks into the contact, melting at the touch. “I-I am.”

“I’m…not going to leave you,” Kylo says, voice hoarse, unconsciousness nearing.

“T—thank you,” Hux whispers, and Kylo knows that Hux is giving his gratitude for more than just staying beside him. “Ren? What _he_ said, a-about how I feel. It was the truth.”

Kylo’s heart flutters. Somehow, he thought Palpatine may have been lying; hearing it from Hux makes his soul soar.

“And me. About how I feel—”

“I heard,” Hux says, smiling. “I…I’m sorry it took _this_ happening for you to find out.”

“Don’t…” Kylo closes his eyes, unable to fight the darkness. “Don’t …apologise. I…couldn’t live with you gone.”

Hux’s hand remains on his cheek as he teeters on the edge of unconsciousness, hearing a desperate and tender whisper of ‘ _I love you, Kylo Ren,’_ before exhaustion claims him, his mind already fading into a flurry of dreams about Armitage Hux and their bright future together.

But before he goes, his eyes play a trick on him; over Hux’s body, just behind him, Kylo sees his grandfather’s ghost smiling at him. Dressed in his Jedi robes, Anakin Skywalker lowers his head in a bow before glancing to his side, welcoming a woman into his open arms. She stands beside him proudly, her long, flowing hair is littered with beautiful white flowers as it cascades down over her light blue dress. She’s smiling too, directly at Kylo, before both of them disappear in a wisp of smoke, fading from sight and back to their own realm, resting at peace with their son and their daughter, knowing that the truest evil to have ever graced the galaxy has been defeated by a Skywalker and his unconditional love once more.

**Author's Note:**

> I had so much fun writing this! I LIVE for this type of angst and I adore all the Hux-Palpatine theories I've been seeing, it was fun to finally get one of my own out!
> 
> A quote (see below) from the novelisation of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith makes it abundantly clear that there is no such thing as a Dark Side ghost since no Sith can achieve sufficient oneness with the Force as to survive after death, except as a vague remnant of their former selves, so that's the basis that I used as to why Palpatine could be defeated so 'easily' again.
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> **"Eternal life…"**  
>   
>  __  
>  **"The ultimate goal of the Sith, yet they can never achieve it; it comes only through the release of self, not the exaltation of self. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to the darkness."**  
>   
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! My tumblr is [@solohux](http://solohux.tumblr.com/)❤️
> 
> And I'm also on twitter now! Find me [@solohuxx](https://mobile.twitter.com/solohuxx) 💙


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